IONIS PHARMACEUTICALS INC IONS
COM · Common Stock · CUSIP 462222100 · ISIN US4622221004
American pharmaceutical company
- SectorHealth care
- IndustryPharmaceutical Preparations
- HeadquartersCarlsbad, CA
- Founded1989
- Websiteionispharma.com
- FilingsSEC EDGAR
* Summed across managers. Shares that two managers' reports both contain – a subsidiary's holdings that its parent's report includes too, or a sub-adviser's in its client's – are counted once ($3.9m this quarter). Holder counts are more reliable. Shares outstanding: 143.5m as of 2023-10-27, from the company's own SEC filing; the percentage can still exceed 100%: lent-out shares are counted by the lender and the buyer, and some reports overlap without saying so. Implied quarter-end price ≈ $45.42. Options: 18 managers hold calls ($29.2m notional), 14 hold puts ($20.7m).
Trends to Q3 2023
Institutional holders
Managers reporting a position, each quarter
Numbers
| Quarter | Holders |
|---|---|
| Q3 2022 | 350 |
| Q4 2022 | 339 |
| Q1 2023 | 316 |
| Q2 2023 | 307 |
| Q3 2023 | 313 |
Buyers vs sellers
Managers adding to or starting a position, vs cutting or selling out
Numbers
| Quarter | Bought or added | Cut or sold out |
|---|---|---|
| Q4 2022 | 155 | 161 |
| Q1 2023 | 120 | 180 |
| Q2 2023 | 128 | 154 |
| Q3 2023 | 138 | 129 |
Calls vs puts
Options held, notional value, last 4 quarters. P/C = puts ÷ calls
Numbers
| Quarter | Calls | Puts | P/C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 2022 | $15.2m | $12.8m | 0.84 |
| Q1 2023 | $17.2m | $10.2m | 0.59 |
| Q2 2023 | $21.6m | $23.6m | 1.10 |
| Q3 2023 | $29.2m | $20.7m | 0.71 |
Biggest buyers
| MACQUARIE GROUP LTD | Added | +1.4m |
| BVF INC/IL | Added | +1.2m |
| ADAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS GP, L.L.C. | New | +1.1m |
| WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP LLP | Added | +845.9k |
| FARALLON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C. | Added | +722.0k |
| California Public Employees Retirement System | Added | +397.9k |
| BNP PARIBAS FINANCIAL MARKETS | Added | +300.2k |
| TWO SIGMA INVESTMENTS, LP | Added | +262.7k |
| TWO SIGMA ADVISERS, LP | Added | +260.1k |
| D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc. | Added | +165.8k |
Biggest sellers
| Thrivent Financial for Lutherans | Sold out | -987.5k |
| Swedbank AB | Reduced | -799.8k |
| Woodline Partners LP | Reduced | -726.8k |
| Clearbridge Investments, LLC | Reduced | -346.5k |
| Camber Capital Management LP | Reduced | -250.0k |
| FIRST TRUST ADVISORS LP | Reduced | -188.1k |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Reduced | -185.9k |
| JACOBS LEVY EQUITY MANAGEMENT, INC | Reduced | -176.4k |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO | Reduced | -166.7k |
| Bellevue Group AG | Reduced | -146.6k |
Biggest calls
| SUSQUEHANNA INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLP | Added | $11.6m255.2k shares |
| Twin Tree Management, LP | Added | $2.8m60.8k shares |
| BARCLAYS PLC | New | $2.7m60.0k shares |
| SIMPLEX TRADING, LLC | Added | $1.9m41.8k shares |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC | Added | $1.8m39.8k shares |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Reduced | $1.6m34.3k shares |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO | New | $1.4m30.0k shares |
| Caption Management, LLC | Reduced | $1.4m30.0k shares |
| CITIGROUP INC | Reduced | $1.2m27.5k shares |
| GTS SECURITIES LLC | New | $1.1m24.3k shares |
Biggest puts
| SUSQUEHANNA INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLP | Reduced | $5.3m116.2k shares |
| Twin Tree Management, LP | Added | $5.0m110.7k shares |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC | Reduced | $2.5m55.8k shares |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO | New | $1.4m30.0k shares |
| Caption Management, LLC | Reduced | $1.4m30.0k shares |
| CITIGROUP INC | Reduced | $1.2m27.5k shares |
| SIMPLEX TRADING, LLC | Reduced | $1.0m22.7k shares |
| Walleye Capital LLC | Reduced | $979.8k21.6k shares |
| Walleye Trading LLC | Added | $630.5k13.9k shares |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Reduced | $362.9k8.0k shares |
Options at notional value: the value of the shares the contracts control, as filers report them, not what the options cost. Not included in the holders, shares or buying above.
Major shareholders (over 5%)
Anyone who owns more than 5% of a class of the company's shares has to say so: on Schedule 13D if they may try to influence or control the company, on 13G if they're a passive investor, and update it as the stake changes. Each holder's latest filing, from 19 Dec 2024 on; percentages are of the share class, as the holder worked them out.
| Holder | Stake |
|---|---|
| Capital World Investors 13G · institution +1.7 pts · filed 2026-05-14 | 12.8% |
| BlackRock, Inc. 13G · institution filed 2025-04-17 | 5.7% |
| VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 13G · institution new · filed 2026-04-30 | 5.0% |
Fell to 5% or below in the last year: T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc. (3.7%, 2026-05-15), VANGUARD GROUP INC (0.0%, 2026-03-27; now reported by VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC)
Insider purchases and sales in Q3 2023
Shares bought or sold by the company's own officers, directors and 10% owners, in the open market or privately, as they reported to the SEC on Form 4 (due within two business days of the trade). Grants, option exercises, shares withheld for tax and gifts aren't included.
Officers and directors buying vs selling
Number of people, by quarter (10% owners not included)
Numbers
| Quarter | Buying | Bought | Selling | Sold | Sold under a plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 2021 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Q1 2022 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Q2 2022 | 0 | — | 3 | $302.1k | — |
| Q3 2022 | 0 | — | 2 | $71.5k | — |
| Q4 2022 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Q1 2023 | 0 | — | 10 | $4.7m | — |
| Q2 2023 | 0 | — | 5 | $522.0k | $261.6k |
| Q3 2023 | 0 | — | 5 | $1.7m | $1.6m |
| Date | Insider | Trade | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-28 | BENNETT C FRANK EVP, Chief Scientific Officer | Sold plan | $207.4k4.5k shares |
| 2023-09-26 | PARSHALL B LYNNE Director | Sold plan | $451.3k10.0k shares |
| 2023-09-26 | KLEIN JOSEPH III Director | Sold plan | $90.3k2.0k shares |
| 2023-08-01 | Diaz Allene M. Director | Sold plan | $27.0k657 shares |
| 2023-07-18 | KLEIN JOSEPH III Director | Sold | $149.3k3.6k shares |
| 2023-07-07 | Monia Brett P Chief Executive Officer, director | Sold plan | $788.0k18.6k shares |
Their holding: how much the trade added to or took from the insider's holding (direct, or the trust or fund named). The same trade is sometimes reported by more than one insider, such as a fund and the director who represents it; totals count it once. A value is left blank where the reported price is far from the market price (usually a typo).
Holders, Q3 2023
| Manager | Shares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| FMR LLC 0.08% of their portfolio | 21.5m $975.2m | Added +35.1k |
| VANGUARD GROUP INC 0.02% of their portfolio | 14.5m $657.8m | Reduced -21.2k |
| T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc. 0.42% of their portfolio | 13.1m $595.3m | Added +39.3k |
| Bellevue Group AG 6.75% of their portfolio | 9.2m $418.8m | Reduced -146.6k |
| BlackRock Inc. 0.01% of their portfolio | 9.1m $413.4m | Reduced -21.5k |
| Clearbridge Investments, LLC 0.21% of their portfolio | 4.8m $219.6m | Reduced -346.5k |
| BVF INC/IL 4.90% of their portfolio | 4.0m $181.6m | Added +1.2m |
| STATE STREET CORP 0.01% of their portfolio | 4.0m $179.4m | Reduced -19.4k |
| PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ 0.03% of their portfolio | 3.8m $170.5m | Reduced -77.9k |
| Tweedy, Browne Co LLC 8.57% of their portfolio | 3.5m $159.2m | Reduced -30.7k |
| Pictet Asset Management Holding SA 0.18% of their portfolio | 3.2m $147.0m | First filing |
| MACQUARIE GROUP LTD 0.17% of their portfolio | 2.9m $133.2m | Added +1.4m |
| Deep Track Capital, LP 4.99% of their portfolio | 2.8m $128.6m | Unchanged |
| ARK Investment Management LLC 0.82% of their portfolio | 2.4m $107.3m | Reduced -56.3k |
| Camber Capital Management LP 3.66% of their portfolio | 2.2m $102.1m | Reduced -250.0k |
| GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 2.2m $99.6m | Added +37.9k |
| ORBIMED ADVISORS LLC 2.11% of their portfolio | 2.2m $98.4m | Unchanged |
| WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP LLP 0.02% of their portfolio | 1.8m $79.9m | Added +845.9k |
| CHARLES SCHWAB INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC 0.02% of their portfolio | 1.2m $56.4m | Added +43.1k |
| NORGES BANK 0.01% of their portfolio | 1.2m $52.3m | Added +141.3k |
| FIRST TRUST ADVISORS LP 0.06% of their portfolio | 1.1m $51.5m | Reduced -188.1k |
| ADAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS GP, L.L.C. 0.11% of their portfolio | 1.1m $48.4m | New |
| MORGAN STANLEY 0.00% of their portfolio | 1.0m $46.9m | Reduced -95.5k |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO 0.00% of their portfolio | 901.1k $40.9m | Reduced -166.7k |
| TD Asset Management Inc 0.05% of their portfolio | 898.9k $40.8m | Added +113.6k |
| Capital World Investors 0.01% of their portfolio | 839.5k $38.1m | Unchanged |
| FARALLON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C. 0.19% of their portfolio | 727.0k $33.0m | Added +722.0k |
| NORTHERN TRUST CORP 0.01% of their portfolio | 690.7k $31.3m | Added +19.6k |
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.01% of their portfolio | 663.4k $30.1m | Added +86.3k |
| California Public Employees Retirement System 0.03% of their portfolio | 655.4k $29.7m | Added +397.9k |
| BARCLAYS PLC 0.02% of their portfolio | 639.6k $29.0m | Added +97.3k |
| Bank of New York Mellon Corp 0.01% of their portfolio | 627.2k $28.4m | Added +69.4k |
| WELLS FARGO & COMPANY/MN 0.01% of their portfolio | 617.9k $28.0m | Added +5.0k |
| TWO SIGMA ADVISERS, LP 0.07% of their portfolio | 604.3k $27.4m | Added +260.1k |
| Candriam S.C.A. 0.18% of their portfolio | 549.1k $24.9m | Added +25.0k |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/ 0.00% of their portfolio | 536.0k $24.3m | Added +76.7k |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC 0.03% of their portfolio | 535.9k $24.3m | Reduced -185.9k |
| AXA S.A. 0.08% of their portfolio | 481.6k $21.8m | Reduced -43.6k |
| TWO SIGMA INVESTMENTS, LP 0.06% of their portfolio | 476.1k $21.6m | Added +262.7k |
| PINNACLE ASSOCIATES LTD 0.39% of their portfolio | 463.0k $21.0m | Reduced -15.2k |
| NOMURA HOLDINGS INC 0.23% of their portfolio | 459.3k $20.8m | Added +23.9k |
| MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC 0.02% of their portfolio | 437.1k $19.8m | Added +18.2k |
| BNP PARIBAS FINANCIAL MARKETS 0.04% of their portfolio | 410.7k $18.6m | Added +300.2k |
| Hudson Bay Capital Management LP 0.08% of their portfolio | 380.0k $17.2m | Added +105.0k |
| JACOBS LEVY EQUITY MANAGEMENT, INC 0.10% of their portfolio | 373.1k $16.9m | Reduced -176.4k |
| D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc. 0.03% of their portfolio | 362.0k $16.4m | Added +165.8k |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 337.8k $15.3m | Added +149.5k |
| BAILLIE GIFFORD & CO 0.01% of their portfolio | 316.6k $14.4m | Reduced -13.7k |
| Woodline Partners LP 0.17% of their portfolio | 315.1k $14.3m | Reduced -726.8k |
| Liontrust Investment Partners LLP 0.22% of their portfolio | 310.0k $14.1m | Reduced -11.5k |
| Nuveen Asset Management, LLC 0.00% of their portfolio | 309.1k $14.0m | Reduced -32.3k |
| Corient Private Wealth LP 0.03% of their portfolio | 307.0k $13.9m | Added +1.5k |
| ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN L.P. 0.01% of their portfolio | 304.5k $13.8m | Reduced -42.0k |
| Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group, Inc. 0.01% of their portfolio | 292.5k $13.3m | Reduced -3.7k |
| Amova Asset Management Americas, Inc. 0.16% of their portfolio | 292.5k $13.3m | Reduced -3.7k |
| ALTRINSIC GLOBAL ADVISORS LLC 0.51% of their portfolio | 292.2k $13.3m | Reduced -15.8k |
| Swiss National Bank 0.01% of their portfolio | 283.1k $12.8m | Added +3.0k |
| RENAISSANCE TECHNOLOGIES LLC 0.02% of their portfolio | 269.8k $12.2m | Reduced -100.7k |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC 0.02% of their portfolio | 253.5k $11.5m | Added +145.2k |
| Eversept Partners, LP 1.27% of their portfolio | 252.4k $11.5m | Added +10.9k |
| STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP 0.02% of their portfolio | 246.2k $11.2m | Reduced -22.8k |
| KENNEDY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 0.26% of their portfolio | 238.6k $10.8m | Added +8.4k |
| CREDIT SUISSE AG/ 0.01% of their portfolio | 230.3k $10.4m | Reduced -14.6k |
| MANUFACTURERS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, THE 0.01% of their portfolio | 229.7k $10.4m | Reduced -33.9k |
| Privium Fund Management B.V. 3.08% of their portfolio | 228.5k $10.4m | Added +2.0k |
| BANK OF MONTREAL /CAN/ 0.00% of their portfolio | 226.8k $10.1m | Added +3.7k |
| Rafferty Asset Management, LLC 0.06% of their portfolio | 216.0k $9.8m | Added +11.6k |
| Sicart Associates LLC 3.61% of their portfolio | 203.1k $9.2m | Reduced -1.8k |
| TANG CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 1.28% of their portfolio | 200.0k $9.1m | Unchanged |
| RHUMBLINE ADVISERS 0.01% of their portfolio | 197.5k $9.0m | Added +127 |
| RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES 0.01% of their portfolio | 194.6k $8.8m | Added +2.7k |
| DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS LP 0.00% of their portfolio | 192.2k $8.7m | Added +9.4k |
| CITIGROUP INC 0.01% of their portfolio | 189.6k $8.6m | Added +107.9k |
| Trexquant Investment LP 0.21% of their portfolio | 183.3k $8.3m | Added +78.7k |
| UBS AM, a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC 0.00% of their portfolio | 177.1k $8.0m | Added +381 |
| SECTOR GAMMA AS 1.92% of their portfolio | 165.6k $7.5m | Added +5.2k |
| Legal & General Group Plc 0.00% of their portfolio | 165.0k $7.5m | Added +31.7k |
| Man Group plc 0.02% of their portfolio | 163.9k $7.4m | New |
| TOCQUEVILLE ASSET MANAGEMENT L.P. 0.14% of their portfolio | 161.7k $7.3m | Reduced -750 |
| Jefferies Financial Group Inc. 0.18% of their portfolio | 160.2k $7.3m | Added +67.2k |
| Parkman Healthcare Partners LLC 1.33% of their portfolio | 159.5k $7.2m | Added +6.5k |
| STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION OF FLORIDA RETIREMENT SYSTEM 0.02% of their portfolio | 151.0k $6.8m | Added +220 |
| Sonora Investment Management Group, LLC 0.58% of their portfolio | 148.4k $6.7m | Reduced -1.8k |
| BLB&B Advisors, LLC 0.48% of their portfolio | 147.7k $6.7m | Reduced -2.6k |
| CALIFORNIA STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM 0.01% of their portfolio | 145.6k $6.6m | Reduced -15.4k |
| Point72 Asset Management, L.P. 0.02% of their portfolio | 141.5k $6.4m | Reduced -62.9k |
| Squarepoint Ops LLC 0.03% of their portfolio | 139.5k $6.3m | Added +71.7k |
| Swedbank AB 0.01% of their portfolio | 136.9k $6.2m | Reduced -799.8k |
| Verition Fund Management LLC 0.08% of their portfolio | 136.0k $6.2m | New |
| Invesco Ltd. 0.00% of their portfolio | 131.2k $5.9m | Added +1.4k |
| Connor, Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. 0.03% of their portfolio | 129.8k $5.9m | Reduced -68.7k |
| ENVESTNET ASSET MANAGEMENT INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 126.7k $5.7m | Added +90.7k |
| PEREGRINE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 0.17% of their portfolio | 126.4k $5.7m | Reduced -22.8k |
| Amundi 0.00% of their portfolio | 125.7k $6.0m | Added +4.8k |
| Jump Financial, LLC 0.20% of their portfolio | 119.4k $5.4m | Added +13.6k |
| NEW YORK STATE COMMON RETIREMENT FUND 0.01% of their portfolio | 118.2k $5.4m | Reduced -17.3k |
| HRT FINANCIAL LP 0.05% of their portfolio | 114.6k $5.2m | Added +109.1k |
| UBS Group AG 0.00% of their portfolio | 109.0k $4.9m | Added +16.2k |
| STATE OF WISCONSIN INVESTMENT BOARD 0.01% of their portfolio | 105.8k $4.8m | Reduced -3.5k |
| DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale 0.01% of their portfolio | 91.6k $4.2m | Added +1.6k |